War is a major disruption to institutions and the employment of human capital. The war in Ukraine has displaced an estimated 15 million people, about half of whom are now outside the country’s borders. Entire sectors of the pre-war economy are in ruins, while large parts of the economic infrastructure — such as energy — must be rebuilt from scratch. The scale of destruction is so vast that major cities like Kharkiv may need to be relocated and reimagined as new economic centers.

This project, directed by Simeon Djankov at London School of Economics, will produce a special issue of the Journal of Comparative Economics in June 2026, focused on rebuilding efforts in Ukraine during and after the war. In addition to Djankov, contributors include: 2024 Noble Prize winner in Economics Daron Acemoglu (MIT); Ukrainian researchers Yuri Gorodnichenko (UC Berkeley) and Tymofiy Mylovanov (President, Kyiv School of Economics), Ed Glaeser (Harvard University), Erica Bosio (World Bank), Giovanni Ramello (University of Toronto) Jeremie Bertrand (IESG, France), Rok Sprunk (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia) and Nikita Melnikov (Nova School of Economics, Portugal).

Titled “Towards Entrepreneurial Freedom in Ukraine (after the War)”, the issue will explore how individual freedom, particularly entrepreneurial freedom, can support economic renewal.The topics closely align with priorities outlined by The US Department of State in February 2024, including security, foreign investment, reducing corruption, development of key infrastructure to support industry and social cohesion, and the reintegration/retraining of the workforce.

The potential impact of a rebuilding blueprint is significant. The journal contributors believe the topics have the potential to be of relevance to a broader audience of researchers and policy makers across Europe. Using a market/enterprise-oriented approach, the research can be used to guide a nation toward policies leading to greater freedom, transparency, economic efficiency, and competition in post-war Ukraine.